Universe

Place of Death

Creators

Contents

History

Being of an immortal race, I have ever pondered what, if anything, comes after the event mortals call ‘death.’ Today, I may well learn. Whatever transpires, I will remain true to my charge, and observe all that occurs. A fitting end, I think, for the being known as... The Watcher.

Billions of years ago, the technologically-advanced extraterrestrial race known as the Watchers decided it was their duty to help the universe's less advanced races. In their first such experiment, proposed by Ikor, a delegation of four brought atomic energy knowledge to the planet Prosilicus. The Prosilicans accepted the gift, but used it to develop nuclear weapons and engaged in an auto-genocidal war. Ashamed of their actions, the Watchers vowed never again to interfere in the affairs of other races[1].

Ikor drafted a code of ethics based upon strict noninterference and passive observation which was so strict that if another being were dying at a Watcher's feet, the Watcher would offer no aid. With their new code established, the Watchers evacuated their home-world and relocated throughout the galaxies, each Watcher choosing a star system where they could observe and mentally record the lives of other races for the purpose of eventually sharing it with their fellow Watchers[2].

The Watchers would then sporadically reassemble to pool their knowledge and share what they had witnessed.

Ikor's son, Uatu, chose Earth's star system (Sol) as his new home and was based in the "Blue Area" of Earth's moon, an abandoned settlement built by the alien Kree, from which he observed Earth for billions of years. At first, Uatu adhered to his race's vow of non-interference. He did not physically intervene when the Gunan known as Xakku the Sun-Stealer threatened to transport Earth's sun (Sol) to his own star system (although he did trick the alien into expending his oxygen tanks before he could accomplish his mission)[3].

Uatu even spurned the affections of the extraterrestrial Queen Kalthea who offered Uatu her hand in marriage after his appearance caused the barbarians threatening her kingdom to retreat[4]; but over the centuries, Uatu grew so fond of the lifeforms he observed that he occasionally violated his vow of non-interference when Earth's existence was threatened. [5]

Uatu's first recorded encounter with an Earthling occurred in the year 1602 A.D. when a possible-future Captain America was inadvertently sent back in time to that era causing ripples in the time-stream that threatened the very fabric of reality. Uatu revealed the nature of the problem to an Elizabethan-era version of Dr. Stephen Strange who helped send the temporally-displaced Captain America back through a time-portal, correcting the timeline. [6]

In modern times, Uatu met the Fantastic Four when they visited the Moon to investigate the Blue Area. The criminal mastermind Red Ghost and his Super-Apes had also landed there and soon attacked the Thing. Uatu revealed his presence to the Earthlings and ended the fight decreeing that the Fantastic Four would battle Red Ghost and his simian cohorts. Uatu was impressed with the FF's victory and gave them his blessing, allowing them to retain their memories of his existence[8].

Uatu became fond of the Fantastic Four and began to warn them of impending dangers, such as the Molecule Man who gained matter-manipulation powers in a lab accident. After the Molecule Man's defeat, Uatu transported the villain to an other-dimensional world.[9]

Soon after, at the wedding of Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman, Uatu helped Mr. Fantastic defeat the horde of super-villains who threatened the ceremony by transporting him to the Watcher's home, allowing him to pick a weapon to send the villains back before they were controlled and erase their memories[10]. Afterward, Uatu allowed Reed and Sue to honeymoon in the Blue Area's city, providing an opulent banquet hall and assuring the newlyweds that they would be the only beings in the galaxy that he would not be watching that night. [10]

Later, when Galactus first menaced Earth, Uatu tried to hide the planet from the world-devourer,[11] debated him as to why the Earth should be spared,[12] and finally helped the Human Torch obtain the only weapon capable of destroying the cosmic menace -- the Ultimate Nullifier (Weapon).[13] Uatu also studied alternate realities, which he observed through a portal given to him by the Time-Keepers, a group of beings who existed at the end of time itself. [14]

Uatu on Trial

Eventually, Uatu disgraced himself completely by physically opposing the Kree soldier Captain Mar-Vell after allying himself with the Lunatic Legion, a Kree faction opposed to Mar-Vell who were led by Zarek, Fer-Porr and Sro-Himm and based in the Moon's Blue Area[15]. Placed on trial by his own people for his numerous violations of their ethics code, Uatu explained that he had come to identify with the action and emotion that he observed on Earth and thus yearned to become involved. At the conclusion of his trial, Uatu was released from custody on his own recognizance after promising never to interfere in the affairs of other races again.[16]

A'Sai

Later, Uatu was captured by intergalactic gambler A'Sai via a weapon from one of Galactus' former worldships. Uatu allowed himself to be coerced into a football wager-- Uatu's technology vs. A'Sai's weapon--but, when Spider-Man led Uatu's team to victory, Uatu destroyed the weapon and transformed A'Sai into a casino playing card as punishment for his intent to renege.[17] Uatu also saved the life of Bette Chekhov, granddaughter of Anton, one of May Parker's former boarders.[18]

Quasar

When the criminal Living Laser tried to escape Quasar by flying into Uatu's alternate worlds portal[19] and diverged into separate beings in seven different alternate realities, Uatu enlisted Quasar to recapture the Living Lasers.[20] Based on the Watcher Otmu's theory that even observation affected others, the "Oblivion Plague" caused many Watchers to end their existences; though perpetuated by Maelstrom, the Plague was ended when Quasar convinced the Watchers that they must continue to observe so they could pass on their accumulated recordings to the next universe.[21]

Aron the Rogue Watcher

Present at Uatu's earlier trial was his nephew Aron, a relatively young Watcher mentored by his uncle who was not yet assigned a solar system to observe. Fascinated by Earth, Aron eventually broke the Watcher's code by manipulating the Fantastic Four and Inhumans into a fight. Now a "rogue" Watcher, Aron grew more malevolent; after cloning the Fantastic Four[22] and trying to create a pocket world within the mind of Alicia Masters, Aron was ambushed by Doctor Doom who siphoned Aron's power into a containment device.[23]

Uatu cared for Aron as his nephew recovered; but, before Aron could be tried for his crimes, the Watchers became preoccupied with the threat posed by the giant cosmic entities known as the Celestials. Aron seized this opportunity to masquerade as his uncle Uatu and manipulate the Fantastic Four into helping him recover the energy stolen from him by Doom. Completing the first phase of his plan, Aron plotted to swallow the entire universe into a black hole and then create a new universe for him to manipulate. [24]

Opposed by the Fantastic Four and Fantastic Force, Aron pitted legions of their past enemies against them but Ant-Man (Scott Lang) foiled his scheme by destroying the device needed to create the black hole. In the end, Uatu disciplined his nephew by dissipating his energy and using it to revive the leader of the Watchers known as the One. Uatu was stripped of his title and exiled by the Watchers for these controversial actions. [25]

Continue Observation

Despite his expulsion, Uatu continued to observe affairs on Earth compelled by the lives and struggles of its inhabitants. Eventually reinstated into the Watchers, Uatu witnessed the temporary demise of Galactus who was destroyed by an intergalactic alliance of heroes led by the Silver Surfer near the Shi'ar home-world. Soon after, Uatu was viciously attacked by Abraxas, a cosmic entity threatening all of reality, but Abraxas was defeated by the Fantastic Four. [26][27]

Apocalypse

He also appears to have some sort of history with the centuries old mutant Apocalypse. During the Onslaught crisis, he and Apocalypse observed and discussed the conflict from afar. [28]

Cosmic Claims Court

Some time ago, Uatu and two of his fellow Watchers, Zoma and Qyre, appeared before She-Hulk who was then serving with the Magistrati as a presiding judge in the Living Tribunal's Cosmic Claims Court. Qyre had discovered a reclusive race who had kept their existence secret since time immemorial. The reclusive race sued the Watchers in the Cosmic Claims Court and She-Hulk ruled that Qyre's mouth be permanently sealed so that he could not share his knowledge of the plaintiffs with his fellow Watchers.[29]

The Dreaming Celestial

When the Dreaming Celestial awoke from his slumber in the Diablo Mountains, Uatu, who sensed his presence, turned and looked away from Earth. The Celestial later scanned Uatu and learned the Watcher had broken his pact of non-interference almost 400 times.[30]

Civil War & Secret Invasion

Uatu the Watcher appeared before the costumed heroes while they were meeting to discuss what to do after the Stamford disaster. As Watchers only show up personally to monitor key events in history, his presence did not bode well for the costumed heroes according to Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Strange. Uatu also showed up at the battle in Central Park in New York City between the Skrull invaders and the combined forces of the superhero and villain community.[31][32]

The Hood & Avengers vs. X-Men

Later, he witnessed the search of The Hood for the Soul Gems, Robbins was surprised by his appearance, and Red Hulk took advantage, hitting him and taking the Power Gem. Also, Uatu was present during Hood's and Professor X's mind battle. He later returned during the Avengers vs X-men event and was talking about the dragon Shoa Loa on how it battled the Phoenix Force. He was also there when Hope Summers punched Cyclops to the moon which he even stated was impossible.[33]

Nova

During one of Sam Alexander's training practices Uatu revealed to him an incoming Chitauri armada. After Nova defeated this fleet with the Ultimate Nullifier he returned to Uatu saying that he was the only to believe in him and that he thinks the Ultimate Nullifier should stay with him. He also states he will be coming to Uatu more in the future for further assistance to which Uatu smiles.[34] Uatu has helped Sam many times since the Chitauri armada. He even showed Sam where he can find the Phoenix Force that was making its way towards Earth.[35]

Uatu's corpse found

Original Sin

After a session with Nova,[36] Uatu's citadel was attacked by Doctor Midas, the Exterminatrix, the Orb and the Mindless Ones. As Uatu fought the Mindless Ones, the Exterminatrix and Midas robbed the Watcher's armory. The Orb envied of Uatu's power and shot him. The blast didn't kill Uatu, but as he was unconscious, the Orb removed one of his eyes. Nick Fury went to investigate the event and found Uatu recovering from the attack.[37]

Fury demanded to know who the culprits were, but Uatu refused to tell him under his oath. After realizing the Watcher's eyes were where the things he had witnessed were saved, and that the only way for him to stop the criminals before they could do anything was to have one of the eyes, to have their identities revealed to him, Fury killed the Watcher and took the remaining eye.[38]

The Watcher's corpse was found on the Moon by Thor. This event promptly led to the start of an investigation into who killed him.[39]

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Telepathy : The Watcher is telepathic, able to scan the mind of virtually every known form of sentient life and to project his thoughts into any brain.

Invisibility (Telepathic) : The Watcher may render himself and others effectively invisible and completely undetectable (by the normal senses) to others' minds. This ability is so powerful that Uatu was able to hide the entire Earth itself from the immensely powerful cosmic entity Galactus.

Illusion Generation : The Watcher can alter his appearance at will assuming any guise he chooses. This is apparently a mental/psionic capacity not a physical shape-shifting ability like that of the alien Skrulls.

Energy Manipulation : Uatu can manipulate cosmic energy, compared to divine levels. He has a cosmic energy so powerful that it can almost rival Galactus.

Teleportation : The Watcher can convert his body into a form of energy in order to "teleport" through space at hyper-light speeds (It is likely that he traverses warp space to do so).

Time Travel: Uatu can travel through time. He can take himself and others to any time, past or future.[40]

Force Field Generation : The Watcher can generate and manipulate Force Fields constructed of Cosmic Energy for a variety of effects:

Containment – The Watcher can project Force Fields around opponents, containing them and preventing their use of physical and energy powers.

Flight: Uatu can fly using psionic energies. He may also fly into hyperspace.

Cosmic Conscience: Uatu has very sharp cosmic senses.

Immortality: Watchers are seemingly immortal (although degrees of maturity are evident), having bolstered the limits of their life forces with "delta-rays." Presumably an explosion that dispersed all of his bodily molecules across thousands of miles would prove fatal.

The Watcher holds power at least equal to that of the Collector (as the latter claimed that Uatu could stop his collecting if he so desired) and superior to that of the Silver Surfer at his original cosmic power levels (for he believed even his power was lesser to any of the Elders of the Universe). A Watcher is also described as possessing the power to shatter worlds and set galaxies shaking. Eon claims the Watchers are "vastly powerful" and "near-omniscient."

Uatu was said to be the "most powerful being in the galaxy."[42] The Watchers were said capable of making their very errant wishes reality -- Watchers can die simply by choosing to, yet are still capable of coming back to life by choosing not to be dead anymore.[43] Uatu has been proven able to block the telepathic probes of Galactus. Uatu is also believed to possess unbelievable immunity to physical damage, as even a weakened Aaron proved more than capable of withstanding the combined force of the full-force strikes of the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch and a blast from a molecular disruptor designed by Doctor Doom himself.

Strength level

Class 100+.

Notes

There appear to be no secondary sex differences between male and female Watchers. Watchers still reproduce sexually, however, and rudimentary family relationships still provide care and training for their young.

The Dreaming Celestial later scans Uatu and learns the Watcher has broken his pact of non-interference almost 400 times, initially choosing to inform the Fulcrum of this but later changing to understand humanity and Uatu's love for such lesser beings.[44]

The Watcher was one of the characters featured in Series A of the Marvel Value Stamps issued in the 1970's.